Since we started to work on mapping influence patterns, I have been wondering if we could find easy recognizable patterns in influence maps. If so, we could probably predict influence patterns and the secret of ROI optimisation would be eventually revealed to CMOs !!! Stimulating thought.

The recent history of science showed that behind apparently unpredictable phenomena, patterns could in fact be identified.

Further, similar patterns could be applied to domains as diverse as weather forecasting, traffic modelling or the evolution of populations: this is chaos theory.

So, could chaos theory explain patterns of influence on social media and resolve one of the biggest social media marketing enigmas for brands?

Gone are the days of waiting in a queue in a branch or on the phone to talk to your bank.

Today, customers are able to quickly raise their issues through social media, and it has become an important method for banks to build relationships with their customers and to reach a younger audience.

As is true for success in any business, it is important to be where your customers are, and future banking customers are online.

At the end of August, ahead of the Vuelta a España, Spain’s national cycling tournament, we decided to do a virtual bike ride for charity.

The plan was to cycle the distance from our London headquarters to our Spanish office. The 1,718km bike ride would take place over five days on two exercise bikes situated in our home in Tech City, with the challenge of raising £1,000.

We estimated that for us to hit our target, we had to have both bikes in use for eight hours a day. The challenge was set. Pre-competition donations were slow and we needed to come up with an idea of how to increase sponsorships and promote the event.

Our marketing team were tasked with increasing visibility of the event, driving engagement and, importantly, raising donations... with just one catch – while everybody bought into the great initiative, this was still something that needed to be fit in around our day-to-day work.

When it comes to generating donations we all know that there is more to digital fundraising than simply broadcasting to your supporters.

It’s important to understand who the audience is, whether they likely to convert into volunteers and/or financial supporters and what the best method is of communicating with each stakeholder group to get the best return on resources.

It’s the summer. Medialand is on holiday, and even if you are at work there is a holiday feel around.

It’s harder to get hold of the right people, the decision makers that are required to input into your digital marketing. It’s a time, ideally, when marketers are under a little less pressure than normal.

Einstein said, 'Technological progress is like an ax in the hands of a pathological criminal'.

Albert Einstein died in 1955, the year before the videocassette recorder was even invented.

While technology covers a plethora of tools, machines, techniques, crafts and systems. I wonder if even the smartest of cookies like Mr Einstein, would be as surprised as I am with the progression of digital technology, the associated hardware tools and marketing techniques that make up the world today, as we now know it.

In spite of ever-increasing digital ad budgets and declining newspaper revenues, people still think that traditional media outlets trump digital channels for advertising and credibility.

A new Adobe survey shows that global consumers still rely on family and friends (51%) and consumer forums (35%) if they want credible information on products and brands.

Traditional media, such as newspaper and TV, came in third with 28%, while company websites scored just 17% compared to 8% for blogs and just 3% for branded social media pages.

The fact that people trust recommendations from their peers above all else is to be expected as research has consistently shown the value of consumer reviews in ecommerce, however the disparity between traditional media and official company channels may come as a surprise.

Ben Liau is digital marketing manager at Meyer Australia, a manufacturer of cookware (including brands such as Anolon, Circulon, Raco and Esteele). Here he explains what he gets up to, in an average working day.

If you are keen to break into digital marketing, or are looking for a new challenge in this area, then be sure to check out our digital jobs board.

Alternatively, if you work for a brand (i.e. not an agency or vendor) and want to share your experiences of working in digital then send a note to editor@econsultancy.com, with your job title in the subject line.